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The first bus in #2 is at Eastleigh bus station. The colours, fashions, and child’s bicycle suggest that the bus is an older vintage than the photo. I wonder if the photo was taken in the mid 80’s, around the time of bus de-regulation, when the new bus companies leased all sorts of vehicles.

Safeway was taken over by Morrisons a few years ago and the Eastleigh store was subsequently sold to Sainsbury’s. I have recently seen the Safeway logo outside a village convenience store, so the company may still exist but in a different form. In the background we can see the green sign of the pharmacist on the corner of Leigh Road and Market Street. I forget the name of the store, but it was taken over by Boots – and still is a Boots.

I’m not sure where the second bus is, but the tree-lined street suggests Hiltingbury to me.

#3 is the row of shops opposite the Methodist Church. I don’t think many of them are the same today. The one at the far end sells fitted kitchens, then Domino’s Pizza. I think the store to the left of the estate agents is now another takeaway pizza store. The fish and chip shop is still there, and there may be a Chinese takeaway as well.

Second from the far end in this photo is Ritz Video rental. For younger readers, “video” was like a DVD but on magnetic tape and “rental” was like netflix but you had to collect and return it yourself.

Back in the day, this row of shops provided everything you needed for an evening in: beer from Unwins, dinner from the fish bar, and video from Ritz.

I like your comparison: “video” was like a DVD but on magnetic tape and “rental” was like netflix but you had to collect and return it yourself.” I know you’re trying your best and I must say what you said does make sense!

Amongstthe row of shops at Fryern there was a Blockbuster store. We hired films from them before. A while back I found a Blockbuster membership card at home! Do you recall the stress of having to return videotapes on time?

“One of the more unusual buses to have been operated – albeit briefly – in the Solent Blue Line fleet was AEC Swift EGN 441J. This bus had started life with London Transport, but had passed to Hants & Sussex at Bishop’s Waltham in May 1987. Solent Blue Line acquired the Bishop’s Waltham based operations of Hants & Sussex in October 1987, and EGN 441J was one of the vehicles that came into the Solent Blue Line fleet as part of this transaction.

It is seen at Eastleigh bus station in the late autumn of 1987 operating on route 41 and having received Solent Blue Line fleet names, but this vehicle was repainted into the Company’s livery and by February 1988 it had passed to White Heather Travel in Portsmouth.”

I too thought the ’87’ bus was in Hiltingbury Road, but from the era of the vehicle itself, the only bus to travel Hiltingbury Road at that time was the 47A, so, as happened a lot, the indicator board on the front of the bus was incorrect (In those days, the destination and route numbers were changed by the driver from outside the bus by turning handles, and it has been known for little boys to cause passenger confusion) … (Incidentally, I cannot find any record of a route 87 operating out of Eastleigh or Southampton) … also, in my day, Unwins was in fact J.A. Wendler, a lovely Polish husband and wife grocery business, and the fish and chip shop was called “King’s Court Fisheries, one of only 2 F & C shops in the village, the other being ‘Jones’ on the corner of Park and Hursley Roads, next to Monk’s Brook and McMahon Newsagents

The 87 bus was the Southampton to/from Hursley service.
It was an H & D replacement for one originally run by Harry Jones (Hursley Coaches), which enabled Hursley residents, plus Chandlers-Ford Hursley Road residents as well, have a direct link with So,ton.
When Hursley Coaches folded, Hants & Dorset took over that particular service.
It ran from Hursley, on Hursley Road to C/Ford Station, then via Bournemouth Rd., & on into town.
I think it ran about six times a day, & I remember catching it in the morning, when I started work in So’ton. I think it called at ‘our’ stop on Hursley Rd., (Just north of where Drapers is now), at about 8.40am., but I may be wrong on the time !
Harry Jones used to run another service, from C/Ford upto Standon, where one could walk the three or four miles to Farley Mount !!!
I think he also ran excusion trips, etc.
He also ran a football coach to/from So’ton for all home games on a Saturday afternoon. Wives accompanied their husbands, & could walk from the ground into So’ton to endulge in shopping, as long as they got back by the time the match finished !
There was another coach firm not far from Hursley, based where the garage still is, by Pitt roundabout.
That was Doug Jones Coaches.
Hursley Coaches were Cream & Red,
Doug Jones Coaches were Cream & Blue.

“In the late 1960s the Hants & Dorset 87 route ran relatively infrequently, with most journeys running from Southampton via Chandler’s Ford to terminate at Hocombe Road, although a few journeys were extended to and from Hursley.

Seen operating the route in the summer of 1969, KEL 724 was a Bristol KS6B carrying an 8 feet wide 55 seat lowbridge body by Eastern Coach Works and was new to Hants & Dorset in February 1951; it was in service with the Company for over 21 years, being withdrawn in 1972.”

I remember Kings Court Fisheries: the Farrendon family used to own 2 sons – Colin and Chris worked in it when not at school. Chris the older (and thinner one) and Colin who was at school with me, later had a motor bike when we were all cafe racers – believe he had a Triumph thunderbird.